About the High School Huddle

Welcome to the Citizen-Times' constantly-updated blog for Western North Carolina high school sports. Features include breaking news, scores and stats, college recruiting updates and live blogs from some of the marquee games in WNC. Readers are encouraged to comment on posts, but personal attacks on current athletes, coaches and their families will not be tolerated and are subject to edit or removal at the moderator's discretion.

“We’ve really brought that into play with this team lately. Hopefully we’re riding the wave now and getting a little momentum.”

Davidson’s bomb to right field was the 10th hit for Roberson which even got a pair of doubles and two RBIs from the No. 9 hitter in its lineup – shortstop Grant Hiriak.

Nathan Blaylock was 2-for-3 with a double and two RBIs against his former school as Reynolds (11-3, 5-2) cycled through five different pitchers.

The Rams only needed one.

Parker Johnson (2-1) tossed a two-hit shutout with seven strikeouts and one walk. The right-hander, who has signed with Wake Forest, struck out Rockets batters to end the first, second and third innings.

It was the second victory of the season for Johnson, who combined with reliever Logan Allen to beat Grayson (Ga.) on March 29 at the National High School Invitational in Cary.

Roberson has played a tough schedule that included that invitation-only tournament at the USA Baseball complex. But no one expected the Rams to already have twice as many losses as last year’s 26-3 season.

“The first half of the season did not go well. Obviously,” Johnson said.

“But we’ve been preaching tidal wave, tidal wave. It’s a crest of water coming up big and causing destruction. To us, this game proves that we’re on that tidal wave and trying to just roll.”

Special thanks to a reader for this photo of the Reynolds and Roberson baseball teams praying together after Rockets senior Dylan Williams was knocked unconscious Tuesday night in Skyland.

Collegiate Baseball Newspaper, MaxPreps, Perfect Game and USA TODAY all took notice, putting the Rams as high as No. 5 in early national polls.

Was too much expected out of Roberson too soon?

“Probably,” Johnson said.

“The media, everything factors into it. Those preseason rankings come out and they go to everybody’s head. And when you don’t live up to them, it makes you sink. But it’s all about rebuilding now and that’s what we’ve done.”

Tuesday’s game was the fourth consecutive win for the defending Mountain Athletic Conference 4-A champions. Things took a solemn turn in the third inning.

Rockets senior Dylan Williams was knocked unconscious in a collision at first base after the Rams’ Alex Talley had laid a bunt down the third-base line.

Williams was taken from the field on a backboard, but responsive and moving his hands. Despite the animosity between the two teams, the Rams and Rockets huddled together in the infield to pray for Williams as he was attended to by medics.

A capacity crowd at Holmes-Smith Field applauded the gesture both before and after the prayer.